The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-05-06
A CHICAGO SHARP.
MICHAEL cAsslUS MCDONALD AND
HIS FAMOUS "sToRE."
Career of a Man Who Has Long Been
the Big Boss of the Metropolis Of the
west-His shrewdness in Evading the
Consequences of His Work.
Especial correspondence

consequences of His Work.
Especial Correspondence
CHICAGO, April 29. s
When these wild western officials go into
the public plundering business they are
almost as picturesque a5 their cousins ger
mantle train robbers and stage coach stop
pers of the plains. Some of the men now on
trial in Judge Tuleys court have had inter-
esting careers, too. Take, for instance, this
rather tall, compactly built man, sitting on
one of the court room benches and watching
the proceedings with a keen eye His name
is McDonald-Michael Cassius in full, but
generally called Mike for short. He is not
under Indictment, but his brother Edward is,
and Mike is here in court to look after his
brother Eds welfare. This same Mike is one
of the best known, most notorious men in the
west For several years he has carried the
sobriquet Boss of Chicago, and he has well
deserved the title. But let us take look at
him. We note the peculiar beard growing
down his chin and upon the front part of his
neck-worn that way, tits said, to conceal an
old scar-the restless black eyes, the air of
confidence. and the hard lines of selfshness
and tyranny. He is an active man, mentally
and physically, one who jerks out his SEN
tences short and sharp-a cynlc, an unsympa-
thetic man cold, cruel and slippery. His figure,
carelesSly dressed, is surmounted to-day by q
big slouch hat, tomorrow by shining silk
tile.
Mike Mcdonald is much more than mil
lionaire. Twenty years ago he was train
boy on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
and Grand Trunk roads He was a good
train boy, too-quick, shrewd and courteous
He made money and saved it. Then he came
to Chicago, started a liquor store, bought
gambling house and combined the two. His
place was known as "The Store"-the most
famous gambling house in the west. Just
now the carpenters are busy converting "The
Store" into tailor shop, and the abandon.
ment Of this notorious den, which Mcdonald
sold out a year or two ago, fittingly marks
the downfall of the gang which has so long
ruled the politics and government of Chicago.
In that saloon, or on the street in front of it,
four men have been killed and many others
wounded, and here thieves and despera-
does have long resorted. William Pink
erton, the detective, used to sit
around in this establishment, seemingly
because he liked the associations to be found
there, but really for the purpose of studying
the faces of criminals and gathering points con-
corning their plans and operations. This was
the school to which old Allan Pinkerton sent
his promising son, and it was good one
Singularly gifted for leadership and in
trigue, Mcdonald soon became the boss of the
gamblers. If terms were to be made with the
authorities by which police raids could he
prevented, Mike was the man to make them.
If 'infuence" was to be procured, Mike was
the man to get it. From leadership among
the gamblers to power in politics was an easy
step. In fact, the two came hand in hand,
and for eight years Mcdonald has been a
political boss almost as absolute in power as
Tweed was in his palmiest days.
For years no gambling house proprietor
has been able to keep open doors in Chicago
without first making his peace with the boss.
In the courts, too. he found the means of ac-
quiring favor and influence. JL 55aS non.--
mated by his orders We're elected to the bench.
In signing innumerable bail bonds for bad
men caught in the meshes of the law he made
much money and many political followers.
As soon as Mike became recognized as q
boss he could do almost anything. There was
magic in his name. Men feared him and
courted his favor. He acquired almost auto
cratic power over the city council, and cor
poratons seeking franchises found it neces-
sary to see him before anything could be
done The better to utilize his oppor-
tunities in this direction he started a
street car line to which his council
gave for the asking immensely valuable fran
chises, so valuable that the road, Oh which
only $500, 900 had been expended, was sold
few days ago for more than S1,500,00O. In
the great court house, where now there is
such quaking, it was the same. The boss
tools were either appointed or elected to Office,
and his authority over the board of comriis-
sioiers, many of whose members are now on
trial. was almost absolute. His friends and
favorites were given the fattest contracts.